Sourdough Starter v.1
This is a basic starter. I used dates to extract some sugar and natural yeast and add to the fermentation process; raisins will work as well. As with almost any baking or cooking venture, high quality ingredients yield a better end result. For something like a starter that takes constant care I would recommend sourcing a quality flour, preferably from nearby.
You’ll see I prefer to put most recipes in metric weight. This is a more accurate way of measuring and will yield more consistent results. There’s great affordable digital scales available and they are a great addition to the home kitchen. I use an Escali Primo Digital Scale - less than $30 on Amazon :).
Ingredients
300g dried dates
500mL water
500g good flour
Preparation
Soak the dates in the water for 24 hours at room temp. Strain the dates out and save the water. Mix the water and the flour until fully incorporated and transfer to non-reactive container (plastic/glass works great). Loosely cover with lid or cover with cheesecloth so that air can travel in/out but critters cannot. Allow the starter to ferment at least 36 hours for the first cycle. Check for smell, taste, and visual signs of the fermentation process. The starter should have a fresh yeasty nose and a slight sour taste (overtime the acidity will increase). The starter should have air bubbles and be a medium consistency, similar to pancake batter.
100% starter
50% good flour
50% water
So whether you take half your starter and make bread/pancakes/etc or you simply discard/compost half, start by weighing the starter you intend to feed. You’ll always double when you feed so it’s advantageous to feed later in the day so the starter is ready to use when you need it. For example, if you have
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